Hope

It is said that: “Ummīd pe duniyā jītī hai” (The world lives in hope).

A few of us, close friends of many years, met recently for a meal.  It provided an excuse – not that one was needed – to step out of homes that we had been cooped up in and get over our winter blahs.  A log fire crackled in the background and the cozy ambiance was matched by – thanks to a wee dram or three of the amber stuff – warming up our insides.

Conversation flowed freely and as is almost always the case these days, covered: kids and grandkids, health issues including visits to the doctor and medicine changes, dietary scruples and exercise regimen or lack thereof, TV shows, movies, “Taco” Trump and of course, Epstein.  It was sometime after dessert had been served and consumed that someone threw out an open question, “Tell me, with so much nonsense on social media and the absence of good, honest journalism, what or who can we trust?” 

My somewhat subdued answer, reflecting a personal failure of judgement, was that, “Frankly, all my beliefs and belief systems have gone for a six!  This is not a fatalistic, defeatist statement; it is the way I honestly feel today.”  I went on to clarify that while in India, I had been besotted with the Gulf, its opulent lifestyle and wealth generation opportunities.  Later, while working and living in Bahrain I realized that the green grass on this side of the fence as I had visualized, had been a mirage.  It was sunburnt and dead, just as on the other side.  But then, at the time the ‘West’ projected a fuzzy, feel-good image of societies representing equitable justice with goodwill and co-existence for all.  I see now, how all that is turning out.  Perhaps naïve but not late, I have come to accept that duplicitous hypocrisy is not the sole preserve of any one country, community or peoples. 

Humans are all the same, anywhere.  Each of us aspires for and hopes to acquire wealth, maintain good health, a flourishing career, close family and friends etc., etc.  “I want to lead a good/successful life” is the mantra, but one that varies according to personal choices and the often times conflicting placeholders that keep cropping up at different stages in our life.

A dear friend sagely slurred, “You can either exhaust yourself, thrashing against the incoming wave or you can ride the tide and when washed on to the beach, dust yourself off and move on.”  Sound advice. 

It has become clearer to me that if I cannot control the narrative, I must learn to go with the flow.  I do not have to throw my hands up in the air and ‘give up’; status quo does not have to be accepted. I retain the ability to change myself and hopefully, influence those close to me to think differently and promote civil discourse for the public good.  “Make one person smile each day” is my mantra.  Hoping to let this ripple outwards, like the proverbial pebble dropped in the pond. 

In order to counter the prevailing doom and gloom perpetuated through so called “news” cycles and “exclusive” social media groups sharing frequently repeated “alternate facts”, we can retain sanity by selectively choosing what we consume. Personally, I find refuge in sher-o-shaayari aur mousiquii (poetry and music) to sustain hope, rebuild courage and strengthen resolve.

Legendary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz was incarcerated for long periods and exiled from his native land for speaking truth to power.  Here is a short excerpt from a ghazal he wrote on 9th March 1954 in Rawalpindi’s (Pakistan) Montgomery prison:

… dil nā-ummīd to nahīñ nākām hī to hai	… The heart is not without hope – (it is) only unsuccessful, that’s all
lambī hai ġham kī shaam magar shaam hī to hai …	This evening of sorrow is long, but it is only an evening, after all
… bhīgī hai raat ‘Faiz’ ġhazal ibtidā karo	… (the) night is soaked (in grief), (come) Faiz let the ghazal commence
vaqt-e-sarod dard kā hangām hī to hai	This – the time for song is an occasion shaped by pain, after all …

Years later another legend, Nelson Mandela, imprisoned for 27 long years (1964 – 1982) wrote to his wife Winnie on 2 April 1969 to remember that “Hope is a powerful weapon”.  A favoured quote from him: “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”

John Lennon too, was hopeful when he and Yoko One released Imagine in 1971: